The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-01-01

1nOSe who regard PRESIDENT
Cleveland as the first chief magis-
trate who has been vilitied by the
press are ignorant of history, writes
Ben. Perley Poore in the Philadel-
phia Times. The spirit of defama-
ton began when the man blamed
the woman and the woman blamed
the serpent. In all lands the pub
lie and the private characters of
chief magistrates have been as
saulted, and no man, living or
dead, was ever more cruelty ma
ligned or outrageously DETAINED
than George Washington. Let
me adduce but n scrap or two from
the mass of scurrility headed upon
him. He was denounced as "a
traitor" for his proclamation of
April, 1898, declaring amity with
the balligerent powers of Europe.
and warming all citizens of the
United States against all move
ments inconsistent with neutrality.
For this plain act of duty under
his oath he was held up to public
scorn, he was accused of hostility
to France and of secret favor to
England and, as one Of the results
of this denunciation, at the opening
of the third congress in the ensuing
December the administration can
didate for speaker was defeated by
an emphatic majority.
The Aurora of that day said elf
ever a nation was debauched by a
man the American nation has been
debauched by Washington. If ever
a nation was deceived by q man
the American nation has been de-
ceived by Washington. Let his
conduct, then, be an example to
future ages. Let it serve as a warn
ing that no man may become an
idol. Let the history of the feder-
al government instruct mankind
that the mask of patriotism may
be worn to conceal the foulest de-
sign against the liberties of the peo-
pie" In letter to Henry Lee,
under date of July 7, 1779, Wash
ington spoke of the violence with
which his policy had been assailed.
- But in what" says he, will this
abuse terminate? For the result,
| as Il respects myself: l care not, toc.l
have consolation within that no
earthly efforts can deprive me of,
and that is, that neither ambition
nor interested motives have influ-
enced my conduct, and the arrows
Of malevolence. therefore, however
barbed and well pointed, never can
reach the most vulnerable part of
me; though, while l ain up as a
mark, they will be continually
aimed. The publications in Free
mans and Bucks papers are out
RACES on common decency."
When, on one occasion, as JEFF
ferson tells us, Knox made some
allusion to recent libels uttered by
the press, Washington became very
much excited, "got into one OF
those passions when he cannot
command himself; dwelt much on
the personal abuse which had been
bestowed upon him; defied any
man on earth to produce one sin
ole act of his since he had been i'm
the government which had not
been done with the purest motives.
He had never repented but once
the having slipped the moment OF
resigning his Office-and that was
every moment since--and, by God,
he had rather be in his grave than
in his present situation. He had
rather be on his farm than to be
made emperor of the world, and
yet they were charging him with
wanting to be king. That rascal
Freeman sent him three of his pa
pers every day, as if he would be-
come the distributor of them-an
act in which he could see nothing
but an inpudent design to insult
him."
On the second day after Wash.
ington's retirement from the presi.
Dental chair the following ap-
peared in the Aurora: Lord, now
lettest Thou Thy servant depart ir
peace, for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation,' was the pious ejacula
ton of a man who beheld a flood
of happiness rushing in upon man
kind. If ever there was time
which would license the reiteratior
of this exclamation that time has
now arrived, for the man who is ths
source of all the misfortunes of Oul
country is this day reduced to tn.
level with his fellow-citizens." Sucl
diatribes against the foremost mar
of the nation show that personal vi
tuperation is not a modern weapon
Would Give Five D0ll0rs.
Perhaps the most astounding
case of contempt on record Is tn
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